SEVEN weeks today since self-isolation and, thanks to a busy work schedule, the days are passing quickly. Not that I want the time to fly by, but I do want them to bring an end to the lockdown and inactivity in many areas of life.

Yes, I am champing at the bit for the flag to be raised and the signal to go is given. As I pen this we are waiting for a Government announcement, or some signpost, as to where we are and where we are going. By the time you read this, you may have the answers to those questions.

The fact that racing in France and Germany will return before we do should not be seen as a reason for us to hasten the process. It is encouraging that the protocols which racing can, and has, put in place to allow for the sport to take place are seen as robust elsewhere too. The experience, prior to shut down in Ireland, was positive and we have a template to work with.

However, the return of racing will not be sanctioned unless many other factors are in place, and that is quite correct. Any slip by the authorities, while introducing relaxations to the current protocols for all citizens and which put people at risk, would be unforgiveable, and rounded on even by those who are calling for these changes to be made.

That said, I am dismayed when calls for a return to racing, and I emphasise when it is appropriate, are interpreted as a form of elitism or just plain self-serving. Is it self-serving or greedy for anyone to wish to have their employment or their means to make a living reinstated? Surely not. Wishing to do so if it presented a public health risk would be, but not for those who operate with strict controls.

Racing and the breeding sector exist in the same world and operate in the same country as the wider business world here, all being hit by the same economic sledgehammer. We are no different to the others, and we are suffering the same blows. Just read the column on page five this week to see how hard it is being felt by racecourses.

Like the rest of Ireland, we live in hope that the sacrifices made by so many to date, and will be made for a time to come, will spur a return to normal life as soon as possible. Let’s pray that Christopher Reeve was right when he said: “When we choose hope, anything’s possible”.